[Doylo]

Its that time of year again folks.  As Bonjoy has not been with us of late i have taken it upon myself to perform his annual duty by starting this thread. Same as criteria as last year (even though most of us stuggle to fill that criteria! )

From Bonjoy: The year's end is upon us and what did it bring you in the way of climbing? This is a climbing discussion board after all, so modesty/embarassment etc aside, if you please i'd like to know all/any of the following as applicable:

Top three boulder probs, UK
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Top three sport routes UK
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Top three new route/prob put up

I will get back with mine when i've more time.

Oh yeah what was your worst moment too out of interest!

[a dense loner]

top 3 uk: art of-woodwell, danny's-plantation, house on the hill left hand-hobson moor

top 3 abroad, all in hueco i'm afraid: black mamba-classic. foor salgs-shit but couple of crimps ergo should be classic. run the rack-sheer bloodymindedness, everyone else flashed, fell off last move 16 times, took at least 3 wks of effort

top 3 new probs: sitter to local hero, wimberry. looks shit, great moves. think this was my only new prob

[Doylo]

Dense you've forgot your worst moment but don't worry i know what it was - My Life in A Tank! Ha ha.

top 3 uk- Ultimate Warrior, nice one Huff,
             Drink Driving, what a seige, well good, good luck Matt.
             Thug Mentality, well good, also took a while  despite low grade.

top 3 abroad - very hard this but i'd say, Free Willy, Hueco
                    Notorious D.I.G. Hueco, love this boulder
                    Centre El Murray, one of my favourite V6/7as.

top 3 sport routes UK- Pathetic year but Over the Moon Direct was quality!

top 3 routes abroad - Apatia and Terra du Nissino, Isili- what a crag and Body and Soul 6b+ also in Sardinia.

top 3 new problems - We've a Beaver, Malteser/Last orders and obviously Drink driving again, all on the Orme.

Worst moment was falling off very last move of the boulder problem start to Violent Illusion in Ceuse after 6 days,  so close!

[BenF]

Top three boulder probs, UK:   The Fin from sitting (Gibb Tor), Springer's Mantel (Back Bowden) and Decoy Ploy (Ogwen).
Top three boulder probs, abroad:  Impasse du Hazard (Font) - finally got it, Dopeshow (Magic) and many others in Font, too many to name.
Top three trad routes/solos UK:  Kirkus's Route (Craig Lloer) - easy trad fun in a great spot, Cave Arete Indirect (Laddow) - wicked fun and a futuristic FA in 1916,
Top three sport routes UK:  Nothing memorable to be honest.  Only did about half a dozen sport climbing days in 2007.
Top three routes abroad (any genre):  Didn't do any routes abroad for possibly the first year ever.  Only visited the Alps to boulder and didn't go sport climbing.
Top three new route/prob put up:  Only claimed a couple, both at Pigeon's Cave and both reasonably good.  Otherwise a damn fine new eliminate at Pex Hill the other week.

And worst moment was:

[Monolith]

3 UK: Shallow Grave
        Firestarter (The Mwyn- why can't there be more!)
        Harvey Oswald

3 Abroad: Would rather not discuss that horrendous week in Magique.

3 New: Piss Before Bedtime (Breck), Wank Away sds (WD cuttings) and a longtime goal on my board (sorry).

(I'll add 3 for 08-)

* Rock Attrocity
*The Malteser
*Big G Start

[Dr T]

Top three boulder probs, UK

1) Boyager - Burbage north (one session)
2) Subyouth - Portland (too many sessions to count...)
3) Satin - Stanage (4th go)

and banana reverse (B' North), hot ride and Pete's rib (portland), and Mermaid (B' Bridge) - this had been a long term niggle as I first tried it with a slipped disc (misdiagnosed) which went from bad to f#cking terrible whilst on the problem and consiquently I had a slightly irrational fear of getting back on it...

Top three boulder probs, abroad

1) L'Obique - Font
2) La Voie Michaut - Font
3) Inversee Satanique - Font

Top three trad routes/soloes UK

don't do trad - too chicken

Top three sport routes UK

did my first ever outdoor route this year - Accelerator (portland) but that was about it...

Top three new prob' put up

seemed to put up a lot of problems that were quickly retro-claimed on Portland... some were good, some weren't

[Adam Lincoln]

Top three boulder probs, UK
(Only did 2 problems of note in the UK this year)
1 Jerrys Roof
2 Bus Stop

Top three boulder probs, abroad
1 Full Service (Hueco)
2 Centre Direct (Bishop)
3 Resident Evil (Joes Valley)

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
(Didnt climb trad this year)

Top three sport routes UK
1 Rattle And Hump
2 Out Of My Tree
3 Wasted Youth

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
1 Old Chicken Makes Good Soup (Tonsai, Thailand)
2 Tyranny (Grampians, Aus)
3 Phet Mak (Tonsai, Thaialnd)

Top three new route/prob put up
1 The Pretender, V9, Queens Park, Sydney.

[BenF]

A quick edit after actually considering what I'd typed earlier:

Top three boulder probs, UK:   The Fin from sitting (Gibb Tor), Springer's Mantel (Back Bowden) and Idwal Arete (Ogwen) - the best problem in North Wales?
Top three boulder probs, abroad:  Impasse du Hazard (Font), Dinos don't Dyno (Magic) and Rataplat (Isatis, Font).

And worst moment was:  Pulling a hold of Catalepsy at Pex last week.

[Stubbs]

Top three boulder probs, UK:  
Ringpiece, Ilkley
Ben's Groove, Caley
Secret Seventh, Caley
Would like to put an easier problem or two here, but the hardest ones always seem to mean more.

Top three boulder probs, abroad: 
Beatlejuice (font)
Schrotti (Averstal)
Stressman (Averstal)

Top three trad routes/solos UK: 
Red Wall, Gogarth (seconded the whole thing scared to death)
I'll Bet She Does, Simon's Seat
not sure if I've done owt else...

Top three sport routes UK: 
Nothing
 
Top three routes abroad (any genre): 
Nowt

Top three new route/prob put up: 
I just follow in the footsteps of others.

And worst moment was:
Completely trashing my hands on aye an ard crack and still not doing it, or the fact it rained for almost the entire summer....

[Richie Crouch]

Top 3 Boulder Probs UK

1. The Pinch (Ogwen)
2. Harvey Oswald (Ogwen)
3. Sleep Depravation (Cromlech)

Top 3 Boulder Probs Abroad

1. Dino's Don't Dynos (Magic)
2. Impasse Du Hasard (font)
3. El Poussah (font)

Next Year's wishlist:

UK
1. Rock Attrocity
2. Bus Stop
3. Lou Ferrino

Abroad
1. Carnage
2. Piranja
3. Aerodynamite


Worst Moment

Falling flat on my back from 2.5 metres, nearly biting my tongue in half and getting mild concussion for 2 days. Closely followed by my dramatic fall off the top of Nova Scotia Arete, missing all the pads and tumbling downhill backwards, missing some rocks by millimetres with my head!

Psyched for 08 

[RossH]

Top three boulder probs, UK:
Cubby's Lip, King of Drunks, Jawbreaker.

Top three boulder probs, abroad:
Arabesque, Crazy Horse, Holey Moley

Top three trad routes, UK:
Ancient Mariner (Pabbay), Spirit Air (Loch Maree Crag), The Cad.

Top three sport routes, UK:
None.

Top three sport routes, Abroad:
Pour qui Pas (Ceuse), Ananda (Ceuse), can't think of another - not a good year.

Top three new routes/probs:
None.

Worst moment: three way tie between - injuring finger 2 weeks into 6 week Ceuse trip, injuring other finger 1 day into 3 week Buoux trip, taking a huge wipper off Right Wall.

[north_country_boy]

Top three boulder probs, UK:
Flatworld (Baslow), Sean's Arete (Curbar), Underpants (Earl)

Top three boulder probs, abroad:
L'Aerodynamite (Cuvier), Little Karma Assis (Isatis), Pensees Cachees (Cusiniere)

Top three trad routes, UK:
Linden (Curbar), Stapadictomy (Frogatt), Bat out of Hell (Higgar)

Top three sport routes, UK:
Baboo Baboo (Malham), Overnite Sensation (Malham), Body Machine (Raven Tor)

Top three sport routes, Abroad:
Cent Patates (Ceuse), Privalege du Serpent (Ceuse), Hochspannung (Frankenjura)

Top three new routes/probs:
None.

Worst moment: Injury free year apart from usual aches and strains....managed to maintain sport/bouldering/trad throughout year so can have no complaints......not flashing Ekel was annoying! 

[monkey boy]

Top three boulder probs, UK: Underworld, Sweet Dreams, Barry Sheene
Top three boulder probs, abroad: Left Hand of Darkness, Voigas, Frogger 
Top three trad routes/solos UK: Lots of very easy things

[Stu Littlefair]

I had a really funny year this year. Largely due to life/injuries/work I hardly went climbing at all. On the other hand, when I did climb I got some stuff done that I've been really proud of, so looking back I don't know whether this was a good or bad year, climbing wise...


Top three boulder probs, UK:   
1) Halfway house. Nice snatching, nice grade, done in a single raid with a team full of banter. Can't ask for more than that!
2) Submergence. Did this again this week for the first time in years and managed to find a new sequence that avoids long reaches AND polished slopers. Real class.
3) Full Power. Always nice to plug a gaping hole in the CV.

Thing is - those are about the only 3 problems I've done this year 

Top three boulder probs, abroad: 

I haven't been bouldering abroad at all this year...
Top three trad routes/solos UK: 

I haven't been trad climbing at all this year...

Top three sport routes UK: 

1) Make. It. Funky. Yes, yes fucking yes. Three years of the route being wet, me being out of shape, or being injured, or it being too hot for me to climb it. Then, finally I manage it when it's wet, I'm out of shape and injured, just because someone points a camera at me. I need to look at why I climb....
2) Body Machine. Flashed the motherfucker. Hugely satisfying since I'd been putting this off for longer than most people have been climbing, and I was still sure I was going to fuck it up.
3) Unfortunately, those are the only two routes I've done in this country this year!!!

Top three routes abroad (any genre): 

Ah. All the stuff I really enjoyed comes in this category. All I can say is, if you haven't been soloing in Mallorca, go now. Sell your house, your dog, anything. Just get there.

1) Every Cat is Black in the Night. Fuck yes, that's all I can say.
2) Carlos Cheka. Because I've got to put an 8a+ solo flash in, even if the grade is a joke.
3) Los Indeseables, 8a+, Baltzola, Basque Region. Baltzola is fucking mega. Smells like shit, is often too dark to climb without a headtorch, seeps, condenses worse than Raven Tor and has no traditional spanish soft-touches but how fucking good are the routes? This one is 50 moves long, no rests, 45 degrees overhanging and every move slightly easier than the last.

Top three new route/prob put up: 

erm, none.

An odd year then. I definitely feel like I've been in the form of my life this year at times, just wish I had more to show for it.
To finish on a downer, the worst moment was my wife's dad getting sick and dying in early summer. Total shitter.

[nik at work]

UK boulder probs
Nothing of note

Abroad boulder probs
Nothing of note

UK Trad
Nothing of note

UK Sport
Nothing

Abroad routes
Nothing of note

New routes/probs
Nothing of note

Great year huh? Did do some new problems on the Isle of Man but possibly not destined to become modern classics....

[fatdoc]

just getting the nerves to grow back into my foot so I can feel it and know where it is fulfills my needs for the year...

doing the big set of jumps on my DH bike in wharncliffe on xmas eve, perfect conditions.. awesome..

more on topic:

mermaid on burb bridge, doing a 7a sport route for the first time on a rope in 12 years, crossing the river in chee dale without falling in, belaying my son on a TR of his first  E1, soloing 20 routes on burb north before 8 a.m. in summer, owning a carbon road bike, riding a carbon road bike,  my 1st HVS lead in about 18yrs, a  font7a+ on grit in 20 mins


loving my life, where I am and what I do... so much more than when I wasnt climbing.

All praise UKB!

[Monolith]

Oh aye and best moments; the many orgies in Parisellas, summer days in south lakes were outstanding, climbing with new gangsters,surmounting plateau's, acceptance for degree 2 programme, and stealing Gaskins Shelter Stone project from under his nose.

Worst moments; Awakening from dreaming of the latter, not having it in me to pull the extra 5cm for a first one armer and then getting ill for an eternity, last month a collateral sprain, this month hearing a ligament rip in the index finger.

Life's fucking good I love it.

[neil h]

Top 3 uk boulder uk
Nowt, bugger I really didint climb anything of any interest  

Top 3 uk boulder Abroad
Has to baloo at manuary font
Some clasics in Mello
Flashing balaine in font, super classic

Top 3 routes uk
Soloing crab party Portland, Didnt really climb much else uk stylie

Top 3 abroad
Every thing I climbed in mello
Every thing I climbed in Arco
And Taking my 4yo up a 3 pitch route in the mello valley

Havnt sone much else, The high light to the year is moving to font, thats why not much climbing

The biggest bummer, was getting banned in france for doing 240Km ph What a rush and what a shitter,

[abarro81]

Top three boulder probs, UK:   WSS, blind fig, help the young
Top three trad routes/solos UK: Souls (huntsman's), desolation angel (wharncliffe), get some in (st govans)
Top three sport routes UK: Hall of mirrors (cuttings), axle attack (UPT), thread flintstone (torbryan)
Top three routes abroad (any genre):  Ejector seat (diablo), Might of the Stallactite (Barques), Strangers in paradise (Barques)

[fatdoc]

good effort on WSS

i knew you were on it, shame i didnt see it... good to see you progress on it though..

with that strength and yr height I'd look to raindogs  / zoolook / glue machine etc... asap.. you have the ability, get to it mate! leave out the E6 sport grade.. get a route 8a, it's yours.

you are the tall bloke without a car and a huge reach I've met a few times out in burb arnt you??

(I'm the podgy old bloke that cant do WSS!!)

seasons greetings !!!!

[Yossarian]

Top 3 UK boulder problems - none
Top 3 UK trad routes - none, just shat myself in Cornwall leading things that I would've soloed previously
Top 3 sport routes - eh?

Top sporting achievements
Cycling from Hanoi to Hoi An in 5 days of riding in 6.
Doing my first road race. Despite getting destroyed.
Winning gym rowing competition and wearing a lot of tight clothing.

Other achievements
Writing 64,255 (and counting) words of the next literary sensation.

[SA Chris]

Top three boulder probs, UK

Umm, not many this year. Do indoor probs count?
If not; Sentinel Arete - Glen Clova
Righ Wing Extreminst (low start) - Muchalls
Peel Session - Glen Clova (again!)

Top three boulder probs, abroad
DWB of V3 Scoop at East Clear Creek, Az
V4 Face at Mount Eldon, Az
V3 Dyno at Mount Eldon, Az

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Agag's Groove - Bauchaille
Westering Home - Reiff
Gaucho - Hawkcraig (made memorable as g/f was knee deep in sea by the time I finished it!)

Top three sport routes UK
Only done sport at Kirrie Quarry, but none were particularly memorable.

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Cat in the Hat - Red Rocks
Great Red Book - Red Rocks
Red Wagon - Oak Creek Ovelook

Top three new route/prob put up
Skin Dog - Glen Clova
High Slab - Glen Clova
Flying South - Muchalls

Top Sporting Achievements
Epic Powder Day at Jackson
Best Day Surfing Ever - Sollas Beach, North Uist
Paddling out on big day at Banff

[abarro81]

you are the tall bloke without a car and a huge reach I've met a few times out in burb arnt you??

'Tis indeed me. F8a is definitely on the list this year, though I'll prob mainly be tradding it up in the summer, got lots of E6s I'd like to onsight/hurt myself on!

Happy x-mas and new year
See ya back at burbage soon for a new project no doubt!

(P.s. westside went with an even more lanky-boy sequence than expected in the end!)

[Andy F]

Top three boulder probs UK:
Hmmm, difficult to say as I've not doen much this year bouldering wise, but
Catalepsy, Pex (before it was vandalised by Mr Farley )
Something at Thorn Crag, the name escapes me
Something else at Thorn Crag that I don't know the name of.

Top three boulder probs abroad.
None, as I haven't bouldered abroad this year. Or since '93...

Top three trad routes/solo's.
None. Not a sausage. Not placed a wire all year.

Top three UK sports routes:
Dominatrix, Kilnsey. Mega ultra class. Pulling over the final roof is one of the best bit's of climbing anywhere.
Lob'Session, Malham. Stunning rock and brilliant natural feature
Main Overhang, Malham. Historical classic, worth 8a now IMHO.

[Somebody's Fool]

Not a vintage year.  It's a sad state of affairs when one of the few climbing highlights is reading dense's 'top' three UK problems.

Other than that, discovering Nesscliffe was amazing.  Cones and Currants being the pick of the routes I did.

The lowlight was undoubtedly backing off Satan's Slip at Lundy.  I even got smited for it on here.